Ranking the 25 Most Improved Cricketers of 2013

With 2013 drawing to a close, it's an apt time to reflect on the performances we've witnessed throughout a compelling year of international cricket.

More specifically, with another Ashes series already decided and a heavyweight clash between South Africa and India just commencing, it's a nice opportunity to examine which players have shown the greatest degree of improvement on the global stage in 2013.

All of the world's major Test-playing nations have overseen significant development in a number of their players this calendar year; even the dominant forces of the international arena witnessing new stars emerge amongst their ranks.

So which players have improved the most over the course of this calendar year? Which 25 stand above the rest in terms of growth over the previous 12 months?

24. Glenn Maxwell

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: Making Test debut against India at Hyderabad

Glenn Maxwell was scoffed at after being purchased by the Mumbai Indians for $US 1 million in the 2013 IPL auction.

Those critics weren't laughing when the dashing right-hander hammered 60 from just 22 deliveries in Australia's seventh ODI against India in Bangalore.

That stunning exhibition of hitting was Maxwell's third lightning fifty of the series, after making 53 in Jaipur and 92 in Ranchi.

Although Maxwell has considerable improvements to make if he's to push for permanent Test selection, the 25-year-old has proved he's one of the most exciting batsmen in the world in the limited-overs formats.

23. Kyle Abbott

When Jacques Kallis was forced to withdraw from South Africa's third Test against Pakistan in February, a 25-year-old Kyle Abbott was given his Test debut.

Although he's been seen as a promising fast bowler for some time, what happened next quickly earmarked Abbott as South Africa's next star with the ball.

In his very first stint, Abbott claimed a remarkable 7/29, reducing Pakistan to rubble as South Africa cruised to victory by an innings and 18 runs.

Although Abbott is yet to play another Test since—being forced to wait his turn behind Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander—it seems certain that this bright young talent will be among the next fast-bowling stars in South African cricket.

22. James Faulkner

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: Making Test debut against England at The Oval

James Faulkner's rise in 2013 has been a significant one, rising from one of Australia's leading domestic players to become a prominent international all-rounder.

His success in Sheffield Shield cricket for Tasmania laid the platform for a stunning campaign in the 2013 IPL season, where he was the second-leading wicket taker in a starring role for the Rajasthan Royals.

That impressive campaign resulted in the left-armer becoming a permanent member of Australia's limited-overs teams for 2013, impressing many with his combination of tight bowling and hard-hitting efforts as a lower-order batsman.

Faulkner now finds himself on the fringes of Australia's Test team, having made his debut at The Oval against England.

At just 23 years of age, it's certain that we'll see a lot more of Faulkner on the international stage.

21. Mohammad Irfan

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: Making Test debut against South Africa in Cape Town

Mohammad Irfan has made an incredibly late start to his international career, after being forced to pursue other work because of a lack of cricketing opportunities in his hometown of Gaggu Mandi.

However, after breaking into Pakistan's side last year, the giant left-arm speedster has enjoyed a breakout year in 2013, claiming 38 ODI wickets and making his Test debut in February.

With his extreme bounce and lively pace, Irfan has troubled the world's best batsmen and has grown to become an indispensable member of Pakistan's side.

Although the 31-year-old doesn't have time on his side as a fast bowler, his rapid rise through the ranks of Pakistani cricket means the mileage on his body should be significantly lower than other bowlers of a similar age.

20. Ryan McLaren

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Country: South Africa

Key Statistic for 2013: 45 ODI wickets at 23.77

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: 4/19 versus Pakistan at Edgbaston

Ryan McLaren has been a fringe player in the South African limited-overs teams since 2009. A bowling all-rounder capable of brutal hitting, McLaren had never been able to grab his chance until this year.

Playing in 27 ODIs for his country, the right-armer has claimed 45 wickets to leave him as the third most prolific bowler in ODIs this year.

The bustling speedster has claimed a four-wicket haul on four separate occasions in 2013, in addition to compiling 410 runs in his side's lower-order.

With South Africa opting to field different line-ups in the game's various formats, McLaren has risen to become one of his nation's most useful limited-overs competitors.

18. Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami had never played an international match prior to 2013. Suddenly, he's the most promising fast-bowling talent India has possessed in years.

Quick, hostile and able to viciously swing the old ball, Shami made his ODI debut versus Pakistan in January. Since then, he's grown to become a consistent wicket-taker, with 30 scalps in 20 matches—20 of those coming in his last nine games.

That impressive run saw the right-armer selected for his first Test series at home to the West Indies.

In his very first appearance, Shami destroyed the tourists in the opening Test in Kolkata, taking a rapid 5/47 in the second innings to finish with match figures of 9/118 to deliver an innings victory for India.

At just 23 years of age, Shami is one of the world's hottest fast-bowling prospects.

14. George Bailey

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: Making Test debut against England in Brisbane

While the jury remains out regarding his ability in Test cricket, George Bailey has proved he's a force in the limited-overs game.

In fact, his 2013 season in ODI cricket has been nothing short of outstanding.

Averaging over 60 at a strike rate of 100.00, Bailey is the second fastest man in history to reach 1,500 ODI runs.

A maiden hundred against the West Indies kick-started his phenomenal calendar year, which was followed by an impressive summer-ending campaign in England, where he played a pivotal role in Australia's ODI series victory.

But it was his blistering form in India that forced the cricket world to stand up and take notice; Bailey compiling four scores in excess of 85 in just five innings—including a brutal 156—to earn himself a spot in Australia's Test team.

12. Stuart Broad

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: 6/50 versus Australia at Chester-le-Street

Many would argue that Stuart Broad had already become a proven performer before this year. However, from a statistical standpoint, Broad has never bowled better than he has in 2013.

The aggressive right-armer has claimed more wickets in this calendar year than any other bowler in Test cricket, considerably out-performing both James Anderson and Graeme Swann in England's world-class attack.

The 27-year-old terrorised New Zealand at the beginning of the year, before completing one of the most breathtaking spells of 2013 against Australia in Durham, when he ripped the visitors' batting line-up apart to deliver a series victory for the home side.

Even during England's miserable rematch with Australia, Broad has consistently been the most threatening of Alastair Cook's bowlers, as his partners begin to show the strain of heavy mileage.

With England's current team approaching a period of transition, Broad will be required to be his side's leading force with the ball in years to come.

10. Steven Smith

When Steven Smith made his Test debut in 2010, he was viewed as a technically-flawed batsman who bowled shoddy leg-spin.

Three years later, Smith has begun to sway his critics by becoming a key figure in Australia's revamped middle-order.

The 24-year-old has tightened his defence and expanded his repertoire to emerge as a long-term batting option for an evolving Australian team.

Although Smith scored an unbeaten hundred at The Oval in August, it was his vitally important century in Perth that secured his place in Michael Clarke's team for the foreseeable future; the right-hander preventing a collapse and halting England's brief momentum to setup a convincing Australian victory.

After a number of frustrating years, Smith looks set for a big year in 2014.

Now a mainstay in New Zealand's Test side, Boult has impressed many with his consistent swing from a dangerous left arm.

In back-to-back series against England, the 24-year-old claimed two five-wickets hauls, with his 6/68 in Auckland driving his side into a dominant position before England narrowly escaped with a draw.

Carrying on from those impressive months against one of the world's best sides, Boult has torn through the West Indies in recent matches at home, claiming 15 wickets in two Tests as New Zealand look to bury their visitors.

With Boult emerging as an incisive left-armer, New Zealand's attack has the potential to become significantly more threatening than it has been in recent years.

7. Quinton De Kock

Before this year began, Quinton de Kock was nothing more than a fringe player in the South African limited-overs teams.

Now, at the end of 2013, he stands as one of the most promising prospects in international cricket.

At just 21 years of age, De Kock has replaced Graeme Smith at the top of his nation's batting line-up with instant success.

In his mauling of India in December, the emerging wicket-keeper became the youngest ever South African to score an ODI century, just the fifth player in history to score three consecutive ODI centuries, and the the highest ever run scorer in any three-match bilateral series in ODIs.

6. David Warner

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: Starring role in Australia's reclaiming of the Ashes

David Warner is far from being the most liked cricketer on the planet. However, in 2013, the aggressive batsman has become one of the most destructive.

Immaturity, rash strokes and unsavoury off-field behaviour had hindered Warner's career until the latter stages of this year, resulting in the punchy left-hander losing his place in Australia's Test side ahead of the 2013 Ashes series.

Yet, Warner was offered a lifeline by the poor form of other batsmen—namely Phillip Hughes and Ed Cowan—which he has grabbed with both hands.

Suddenly in the batting form of his life, Warner has two hundreds and two fifties so far in Australia's already successful Ashes campaign at home, with the opener averaging a staggering 91.40.

Once nothing more than a Twenty20 bruiser, Warner appears to have transformed into an authentic Test batsman.

4. Mominul Haque

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: 181 versus New Zealand at Chittagong

Being a Bangladeshi cricketer makes it very hard to create headlines in the Test arena, but that's exactly what Mominul Haque has done.

At just 22 years of age, Mominul has completed a stunning year at the international level, scoring two hundreds and two fifties in his first nine Test innings to finish the year with an average of 83.42.

At a time when Tamim Iqbal continues to frustrate Bangladeshi supporters, Mominul has quickly become his nation's finest batsman, and one of the world's most promising talents.

A free-scorer with a vast array of classy strokes, the young left-hander looks capable of becoming the first player from Bangladesh to break into the world's crop of leading cricketers.

2. Mitchell Johnson

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: Single-handedly changing the balance of power in an Ashes series

Let's be honest. Absolutely no one expected this.

From the laughing stock of Australian cricket to the most destructive bowler of the year in a matter of weeks, Mitchell Johnson has completed the full circle.

Few will ever forget his savage assaults on England in Brisbane and Adelaide; the left-armer single-handedly destroying England with 17 wickets in two matches to effectively end Australia's Ashes drought in just 10 extraordinary days of Test cricket.

Yet, the revival started much earlier in the year.

Johnson's performance in the 2013 IPL was impressive, where he took 24 wickets at 19.12. That gave the previously fragile bowler confidence on the international stage which saw him complete impressive ODI campaigns in England and India.

What followed in the Ashes in Australia was astonishing, marking Johnson's story as perhaps the most compelling of the year.

1. Rohit Sharma

Most Notable Achievement in 2013: Back-to-back hundreds in first two Test innings

It has taken a long time for Rohit Sharma to reach the level that many have expected of him, after enduring a frustrating career since making his international debut in 2007.

That, however, is now a thing of the past, with the stylish right-hander now sitting as the most improved player in the game.

A shift up the order to open the batting early in the year saw a sudden change of fortune for Sharma, with a steady collection of fifties justifying his new role.

Then came the explosion against Australia, when he scored 141 not out in Jaipur before becoming just the third player in history to reach a double-century in ODIs with a breathtaking 209 in Bangalore.

That phenomenal performance landed Sharma in India's Test line-up for the home series against the West Indies. Entering the contest in the hottest form imaginable, the 26-year-old stroked his way to consecutive hundreds in his only two innings of the series to cement his long-term place in the side.